This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment No, I think that's how Aaaaahhhhnold deals with them. Oops, I mean = Gaaaahhhvenaaah Aaaahhhhnold. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Michael Gamble=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 1:04 PM Subject: Fw: Aaargh!!...aka customer relations Knockers? You simply twist them... Michael G (UK) ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Carl Meyer=20 To: Pianotech=20 Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 5:46 PM Subject: Re: Aaargh!!...aka customer relations So, Barbara, how do you tighten two loose knockers? Carl Meyer Ptg assoc Santa Clara, Ca. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Barbara Richmond=20 To: Pianotech=20 Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 8:49 AM Subject: Re: Aaargh!!...aka customer relations Oh, gosh, Dave, thick skin is some times required. There are a = number of ways to HELP avoid this type of thing in the future. When making the appointment, get all the information you can about = the piano and it's service history. Ask, brand, model, age, last time = it was tuned, service history, any mechanical complaints, etc. Then = educate the customer by giving the spiel, "Did you know that = manufacturers recommend that pianos be tuned twice a year?." "It is = quite possible that I will have to do a pitch correction in addition to = a tuning, etc...." Explain the work that will have to be done and the = expected charges and that it is also quite possible that it might take a = few service calls to get the piano stable.=20 It's really important to get this information to them right at the = start. I usually end up with the comment, "Though it will cost more = this time, at least you are not having to pay for all the tunings it's = missed!" =20 As far as how to handle the current situation, it's your choice: 1. Do nothing, risking whatever.=20 2. Go out and please him and keep him as a customer=20 3. Go out and please him and never make another appointment with him = again.=20 I've made it a policy to dump rude and troublesome customers. You = don't HAVE to tune everybody's piano (unless you're really hard up for = the cash.) Peace of mind in worth something, too! Many years ago, a fellow asked me to come tune his small grand = piano. When I got there a section of the treble bridge was in a = shambles (and you could hear it!). I showed him the problem and = explained that repairing the bridge at that point would make good sense = before tuning the piano. I told him what it would cost, he could pay me = a $25 fee for coming out now, but then I would deduct the fee from the = repair bill when I finished the work. OR I could try to tune the piano, = but I couldn't guarantee how that would turn out. He opted to have the = bridge repaired, we made the appointment, he paid the service call fee. = Late that night, I got a call from him. It was obvious that he had = been drinking. He informed me that he had called all the other piano = tuners in town (some of which didn't care for me because I was a young = female upstart, who had gone to, of all things, a piano technicians = school), and they told him I was way out of line, he was canceling = payment on the check and I could take him to small claims court if I = wanted. Also, he was a newspaper reporter and threatened to write about = me (he never did) and it didn't reflect very well on the music store = that had recommended me. Ah, me. I did nothing, but informed the music = store of the trouble. (I'll admit I was very tempted to go up to his = door, ring the doorbell and run.) I thought it was better to let one of = those other piano tuners deal with this guy! Speaking of being in a dazed state, I was once awakened from a nap = by a call and the first question asked was, "How much does it cost to = fix two loose knockers?" It was a good thing I was sleepy! :-) Barbara Richmond, RPT at home with a sick child somewhere near Peoria, IL ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Piannaman@aol.com=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 9:40 AM Subject: Aaargh!!...aka customer relations Fellow self-employed types,=20 Has this or something like it happened to you? I had just gotten = my 3 year old to sleep last night and was about to nod off when my phone = rang. I glanced at the clock and it was almost 10:30. I picked it up, = and a man stated his name, and said that I'd been out to his house last = week and tuned his piano. I remembered him, and I remembered his = demanding nature.=20 He said that the teacher had been to his house and had played the = piano. She said that the bass was out of tune. Now this doesn't = surprise me a bit. It was a pitch raise of gargantuan proportions and a = tuning. 2 hours worth of work, and I didn't charge him for the pitch = raise, because he was a new customer. I did warn him that the next time = he'd pay. The piano is approximately 5 years old, and if had ever been = tuned in his house I'd be surprised. Normally when I pitch raise a = piano, it's pretty stable, as long as it was stabilized at one point in = it's life. That was certainly not the case here.=20 In my dazed state, I stated that I'd come out(today) and check it = out. He was extremely rude, and acted as if I'd done something wrong. = My first reaction was to make it better so that the customer--and his = teacher, who'd recommended me--were no longer disgruntled. I thought = about it for awhile, and realized that I'd done nothing wrong, and had = indeed given him far more than he paid for. I called him back and left = him a polite message to that effect on his work phone, which he should = pick up today. I pointed out that I'd do it for free this time, but = that I wasn't the one who let the piano go untuned for so long.=20 Any advice on possible responses to this sort of thing?=20 This type of stuff really rankles me. I guess the lesson here is = to not take it too personally. Kinda hard to do sometimes when you're = the whole show.=20 Thanks for reading. =20 Dave Stahl=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/89/5b/f3/3a/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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